Retail apps are falling short of consumers’ expectations

Many retail apps are not living up to consumer expectation and as a result jewellery retailers could be damaging their image, according to a new report.

The report has found that while more consumers are beginning to turn to retail apps and a mobile shopping experience, many shoppers still feel that current apps are not fulfilling their full potential.

The findings, from mobile app developer Apdami, show that 40% of consumers are completely satisfied with their current apps while nearly a fifth say they want to see retailers invest more in improving current and new apps.

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Nearly 30% would also like to see more innovation in mobile apps, rather than just using them to browse and shop.

But the fact that 34% of consumers say they haven’t noticed any improvement in retail apps they have previously downloaded should serve as a warning to retailers. This is especially true taking into account our previous Retail App Report, in which 61% said they delete apps if they came across problems, while more than a quarter revealed they would think less of a retailer that failed to update their app regularly.

The data indicates that better incentives and loyalty schemes are the main things that would improve apps and make consumers more likely to download them.

54% of consumers said incentivising shopping via a mobile app with specific loyalty schemes would be a major improvement to current offerings. Some consumers also expect retailers to reward them for downloading and using an app rather than shopping instore, with 38% of consumers saying apps should include some kind of reward scheme.

A more tailored shopping experience – with recommended purchases – is also viewed as essential for an app among consumers, while biometric and contact payment capability would also make consumers more likely to use an app.

One Comment;

Some of these finding seem a tad iffy. How many people were questioned in the survey? Based on the findings, it is difficult to have confidence in the extrapolation that 26% of consumers want to see retailers adopt artificial intelligence. Is that sort of thinking representative of the typical female millennial shopper’s mindset — never mind those in other demographic groups? It does not seem unreasonable to conclude that a finding such as this was a response to a loaded question rather than an unprompted response. That leads to the conclusion that this is not a genuine independent survey but a blatant piece of marketing.